Are you looking for some of the top must read books of all time? If yes, this article is surely for you. Evidently, books are the greatest escape from the real world. Without moving a bit, they let you travel to thousands of different worlds.
Whether you are fond of odd love stories or get an adrenaline rush from reading about a victim taking revenge on a psychopath, books never fail to captivate you.
Thus, a guide through this blog post till the end to get your hands on the 41 best books of all time must read that worth a special place in every reader’s heart and bookshelf as well.
Top 20 Must Read Books of All Time: Romance, Crime, & Mystery
From romance and crime thrillers to mystery, these are some genres that are currently ruling over every bookworm’s heart. Hence, in this section, we have covered the 20 must read books of all time with a detailed overview; take a look.
10 Romance & Fantasy Must Read Books of All Time
Let’s begin with the top 10 must read books of all time in the romance & fantasy genre.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
The storyline follows a 19-year-old huntress Feyre, who has been punished and sent to the magical faerie realm of Prythian for killing a giant wolf in the woods. There she fell in love with the High Lord Tamlin and somehow discovers her lover’s deadly curse.
From here, the story takes a drastic change, showing how she risks everything just to break the High Lord’s curse and to be with him.
| Author Name | Sarah J. Maas |
| Published Year | May 5, 2015 |
2. The Serpent and the Wings of Night
The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a dark vampire romantasy, spinning around Oraya, an adopted human daughter of ruthless, powerful vampire King Vincent.
However, to survive a world full of human-hungry creatures, Oraya enters the Kejari (brutal once-in-a-century tournament) created by the Goddess of Death, where she tries her best to prove herself more than just prey.
| Author Name | Carissa Broadbent |
| Published Year | August 30, 2022 |
3. The Wolf King
The Wolf King is one of the most viral romantasy that stages a fantasy world, where Princess Aurora is kidnapped by the sullen alpha named Callum on her wedding eve.
Later, the two of them clash and travel through rugged Northelands, navigating a political web, ruthless clans, and a passionate, forbidden feeling for each other.
| Author Name | Lauren Palphreyman |
| Published Year |
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4. The Night Circus
Exploring the mesmerising world of magic, dreams, and fate, The Night Circus is about an intangible and travelling circus, known as Le Cirque des Rêves. It serves as a battleground for two well-trained illusionists, Marco and Celia, who compete and unexpectedly fall in love with each other, risking both their lives and the circus.
| Author Name | Erin Morgenstern |
| Released Year |
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5. Outlander
Outlander’s narrative begins in 1945, when Claire (a combat nurse) and her husband Frank went for their second honeymoon, trying to spend quality time after a long separation during World War II.
However, while exploring a stone circle (Craigh na Dun), Claire accidentally touches a standing stone statue that hurls her back 200 years, landing in a dangerous political clan world. There she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior, for protection.
| Author Name | Diana Gabaldon |
| Published Year |
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6. Powerless
Powerless follows a young Paedyn Gray who is an Ordinary hiding and surviving as a thief by pretending to have psychic powers in a kingdom that banished or executed powerless people.
Later, after an unexpected encounter and saving an Elite Prince Kai, her life takes a shocking turn. As they both battle a growing, forbidden feelings for each other while forced to be in a deadly Purging Trial, uncovering shocking betrayals.
| Author Name | Lauren Roberts |
| Published Year | November 7, 2023 |
7. Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing novel sold over 2 million copies in its first six months alone, becoming one of the most-loved romantasy among readers. It story’s follows a physically fragile Violet Sorrengail, who was forced to leave her dreams behind and join Basgiath War College.
There, her path crosses with Xaden Riorson, who initially hates Violet and threatens her life to hide his own deadly secrets from everyone. Later, constantly facing threats of war and assassination, their core enemy relationship slowly shifts to a fierce, romantic bond.
| Author Name | Rebecca Yarros |
| Published Year | May 2, 2023 |
8. Radiance
Radiance sets a fantasy romance plot between two social outcasts, an Ildiko (human) and Brishen Khaskem, a Kai (non-human), who were forced into an arranged marriage by a political treaty.
Bonded by duty, initially they both form a deep friendship and later fall in love while dealing with hostile royal politics.
| Author Name | Grace Draven |
| Published Year | January 11, 2015 |
9. Throne of Glass
A series of 8 books, the Throne of Glass is a fascinating high fantasy plot, following Celaena Sardothien, who was summoned to the castle, not to assassinate the king but to win her freedom.
The condition was to kill the twenty-three killers and thieves to get freed from the prison and become the king’s champion. After surviving and bravely winning a deadly competition, she ended up with Rowan Whitethor, who becomes her true mate and husband.
| Author Name | Sarah J. Maas |
| Published Year | August 2, 2012 |
10. Our Infinite Fates
Last but not least on our list of romantic 10 must read books of all time, we have mentioned Our Infinite Fates, a YA fantasy romance novel. This book is about Evelyn, an immortal soul who remembered all her past lives in which she has been killed by Arden, her eternal soulmate, before turning eighteen.
For her survival, the story shows numerous plot twists where Evelyn looks for a centuries-old devil before he finds her to break the curse and live long.
| Author Name | Laura Steven |
| Published Year |
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5 Crime & Thrillers Must Read Books of All Time
Moving from romance & fantasy to crime & thrillers, here are the 5 best books of all time that you must read. Check them out.
1. The And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling mystery and crime thriller novel. It follows a gripping tale about how ten people, including a governess, a judge, and a mercenary, lured on a isolated island and get mysteriously killed one by one.
Shockingly, each death eerily imitates one verse from an old nursery jingle, “Ten Little Soldier Boys.”
| Author Name | Agatha Christie |
| Published Year |
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2. The God of the Woods
The book sets a plot around the Adirondacks in August 1975, when a 13-year-old girl, Barbara Van Laar, goes missing from her summer camp. Her absence sparks a massive police investigation, prominently led by the known inspector Judyta Luptack.
However, the further investigation reopens several old wounds, disclosing how a perfect, wealthy family in the city holds hundreds of secrets behind their closed doors.
| Author Name | Liz Moore |
| Published Year | July 2, 2024 |
3. Gone Girl
Gone Girl is a dark psychological thriller, exploring a story about a toxic modern marriage decay. It all begins when, on the fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne returns to his home, finding his wife Amy is missing.
Later, the book takes a plot twist when police find Amy’s personal diary, stating her husband is controlling, abusive, and dangerous, making Nick a prime suspect for her disappearance.
| Author Name | Gillian Flynn |
| Published Year | June 5, 2012 |
4. A Story of Yesterday
A short but carefully written story, A Story of Yesterday is a story that intertwines the lives of four characters, exploring a theme of loss, addiction, and revenge.
It is set in a bleak but colourful town, where under a multi-coloured sky, each character is facing brutal outcomes of their choices, leaving readers stunned and captivated with every plot twist.
| Author Name | Sergio Cobo |
| Published Year |
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5. Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies is a dark comedy thriller set in the affluent Australian beach town of Pirriwee. The story follows three interconnected mothers, Madeline, Jane, and Celeste, whose lives are disrupted by a schoolyard bullying scandal.
Exploring themes of bullying, domestic abuse, and the consequences of seemingly harmless lies, the story builds a dramatic and chaotic climax that ultimately delivers justice.
| Author Name | Liane Moriarty |
| Published Year | July 2014 |
5 Mystery Must Read Books of All Time
In this section, we have presented the 5 best books of all time must read in the mystery genre. Take a glance to find your next read.
1. The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Alicia Berenson, one of the famous painters in the town, who killed her husband, Gabriel, and then never speaks.
However, the plot turns when Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, becomes obsessed with treating her and becomes more and more curious and desperate to uncover the truth behind her silence.
| Author Name | Alex Michaelides |
| Published Year | February 5, 2019 |
2. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Finn Donovan, a writer and a mother of two who recently got divorced, was struggling to pay bills and complete a manuscript of her new romantic thriller novel.
While discussing her writing, a lady mistakenly considers Finn a contract killer and offers $50,000 to eliminate her abusive husband, which changes her entire life upside down.
| Author Name | Elle Cosimano |
| Published Year | February 2, 2021 |
3. The Housemaid
The Housemaid is a fast-paced psychological thriller, widely recognised as one of the best mystery books explores the story around protagonist Millie Calloway. She was recently released from prison for manslaughter and got a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family.
After some time, she quickly realised Nina, the homeowner, is unstable because of her abusive husband, Andrew. Later, both women team up and take revenge, culminating in a brilliant ending.
| Author Name | Freida McFadden |
| Published Year | April 26, 2022 |
4. The Retreat
The Retreat is a psychological thriller, following a story around Lucas Radcliffe, a horror novelist who visits a rural Welsh writers’ retreat to overcome his writer’s block caused by the tragic death of her girlfriend.
Despite relieving, the story turns when Lucus got entagled in the dark secrets of Julia, the owner of the retreat, whose husband drowned, saving their daughter Lily, who is still missing.
| Author Name | Mark Edwards |
| Published Year | May 10, 2018 |
5. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is a multi-layered, postmodern mystery novel that revolves around Marcus Goldman, a successful but blocked novelist, who travels to his mentor Harry Quebert for inspiration.
However, Marcus’ world was shattered discovering Nola Kellergan, a 15-year-old who vanished in 1975, was unearthed in his mentor’s garden along with his manuscript.
| Author Name | Joël Dicker |
| Published Year |
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An Extended List of Must Read Books of All Time For Every Reader
Do not forget to check out our extended list of best books of all time must read, covering different genres.
| S No. | Book Name | Author Name | Genre |
| 21. | To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Fiction & Literature |
| 22. | The Brothers Karamazov | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Fiction & Literature |
| 23. | One Hundred Years of Solitude | Gabriel García Márquez | Fiction & Literature |
| 24. | The Shining | Stephen King | Horror |
| 25. | The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Horrror |
| 26. | Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Horror |
| 27. | Blood Meridian | Cormac McCarthy | Literary Fiction |
| 28. | Annie John | Jamaica Kincaid | Literary Fiction |
| 29. | American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis | Literary Fiction |
| 30. | Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Classic |
| S No. | Book Name | Author Name | Genre |
| 31. | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | Classic |
| 32. | The Line of Beauty | Alan Hollinghurst | Classic |
| 33. | The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Sci-Fic & Fiction |
| 34. | Stories of Your Life and Others | Ted Chiang | Sci-Fic & Fiction |
| 35. | Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | Sci-Fic & Fiction |
| 36. | The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | Rebecca Skloot | Non-Fiction |
| 37. | This is Going to Hurt | Adam Kay | Non-Fiction |
| 38. | A Room of One’s Own | Virginia Woolf | Non-Fiction |
| 39. | Before the Coffee Gets Cold | Toshikazu Kawaguchi | Books in Translation |
| 40. | Breasts and Eggs | Mieko Kawakami | Books in Translation |
| 41. | Tao Te Ching | Lao Tzu | Books in Translation |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ten must read books of all time?
The top 10 books of all time are:
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
What is the best mystery book ever?
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie is widely recognised as one of the best mystery books ever.
Who is the #1 author of the romance genre?
Although the best author depends on several factors, Carolyn Brown, Catherine Bybee, Robyn Carr, Alyssa Cole, and Lauren Dane are considered the top 5 authors of the romance genre.
Where can I read historical fiction books online for free?
You can read best, trending novels online for free, using different public domains like Project Gutenberg, Obooko, Open Library, and BookBub.
What is the no.1 book in the world to read?
According to Wikipedia, The Holy Bible is the #1 best-selling book in the world, with 5 to 7 billion copies sold and distributed as of 2021.
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